Saturday, Oct. 30, under partly cloudy skies and a rustling pepper tree, the San Fernando Valley Pagans and Wiccans Circle gathered in Woodley Park for their public Samhain ritual.
Sage, a Pagan for 12 years and a young mother, started the group in May. “It’s growing,” she says, and faster than she expected. But it seems people in the area were hungry for local ritual. When Raven’s Flight closed a number of years ago it left SFV Pagans without a place for ceremonies. This year The Green Man Store opened and this circle began. The need is being filled. Sage is not that surprised by people’s willingness to join since she was prompted by the Goddess Hecate to start the group. “I’m shy and a solitary. Starting a public circle wasn’t something I would have normally done.” The Samhain ritual brought about 20 celebrants to the park. Sage shrugs and says, “Hecate inspired me, it was supposed to be.”
All are welcome and Sage calls the group very open and informal. They don’t practice any one tradition and she herself is eclectic. “I’d like feedback, everyone to be involved so they feel like it’s their own.” After their first ritual at Litha, the Summer Solstice, Alan Gillespie teamed up with Sage on the rituals. He facilitated the last one, but this time they both worked together. Alan used to conduct rites at Raven’s Flight and before that at the Black Broom. He says he’s been involved in Paganism since the early ’80s. Lately he is organizing rituals at The Green Man Store. In November he’ll conduct an animal blessing ritual there. Check with The Green Man Store for more details.
Due to a 40% chance of rain Saturday, there was some question whether the ritual could begin on time, but the weather turned out to be perfect. This time the weather cooperated for the outdoor circle, but Sage hopes that for Yule she can find an indoor space.
Uniquely, the SFV Circle provides workshops before each ritual. This time the workshop table was strewn with jars and bags of herbs. Participants created Seven Blessing Witch’s Bottles. They filled their bottles or jars with seven herbs, choosing the herbs that held the energy for what they wanted in the new year. As they worked on their spell jars and infused them with their wishes, Celtic tunes played in the background.
When it was time for the ritual the group gathered to learn more about the Sabbat from Alan. In the past, Samhain was the time of the dying god so that people might live through the winter. Mostly the Sabbat is about ancestors. Off to the side, an altar to the ancestors held pictures of the participant’s departed loved ones and pets.
Around the main altar under a large old pepper tree, the group gathered for the ceremony. A circle was cast by participants walking clockwise around the tree and altar chanting, “The circle is cast again and again. Again and again the circle is cast.”
The death of the sun god was enacted as a symbolic sun god walked around a crone dressed in a black lace, hooded robe. The sun god held a yellow candle. When he had passed around her three times, he blew out his candle. The sun god was declared dead for the winter. Sage, in a quiet and hauntingly beautiful voice, sang “River is Rolling.”
It was time to turn inward as participants were guided in meditation to the thinning veil between the worlds to speak to their departed loved one or pet. When all returned to this world, they were asked if they wanted to share any memories of those who transitioned. Some recalled poignant moments, while others remembered fun times. Through tears, one young member shared memories that others had of her late mother.
Cake and apple juice were shared in communion with those present in body or spirit. Then Alan told us to imagine standing on a large silver wheel that wasn’t moving. He told us it wouldn’t move until we took a step. We all moved in a circle again, moving the universe, creating our own new worlds.
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